Napoleon and Modern Society

Benjamin Franklin once said “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” I could not agree more with this quote. There have been so many countries that have fought for their freedom, including the U.S. and France, but the question is how quickly these countries would be able to sacrifice those hard fought liberties for their safety. When comparing France under Napoleons reign and the U.S. after September 11th you find that one thing they have in common was that the people were in a state of uncertainty and confusion. Both countries had lost loved ones, both countries felt unsafe and scared. In that situation, the people turn to the government for help just as a small child turns to their parent when they feel scared. What a lot of people don’t realize is that you can trust your government to help you, but even the best of people can be corrupted by power.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the greatest military genius of his time, came to power in France in 1799. The people of France were sick of the bloodshed of war, and hated their government. They were in limbo, stuck and unsure what to do next. That’s when Napoleon caught their eye. He was a young commander and chief of all the French forces, and he won every fight. He was someone who displayed strong leadership skills, and the people were drawn to him. One thing about Napoleon that holds true is that he knew that he was a “military genius”. He pushed his luck multiple times especially when he convinced the Directory (France’s Government) that he could cut off British trade to Asia by occupying Egypt. He ended up being defeated, but when he slipped away to France he made sure that that loss was wiped clean of his record. With the help of the people he overthrew the French Government; he established a consulate of three men to govern France. Of course he was the First Consul, who held all the power. But like many corrupt leaders of the past, Napoleon started getting